The Preliminary Design of Radial Inflow Turbines

Abstract

A procedure is described that develops the nondimensional design of a radial inflow turbine rotor. The design is developed, for any specified nondimensional power ratio, with the objective of minimizing the inlet and discharge Mach numbers so that the passage losses are minimized. Initially state-of-the-art efficiencies are assumed, but these are later modified through the specification of empirical losses. The resultant nondimensional design can be transformed to absolute dimensions through the specification of the inlet stagnation conditions and the mass flow rate of the working fluid.